A Nigerian investigative journalist, David Hundeyin, has alleged that the Bola Tinubu-led government is plotting to silence him.
Hundeyin said they attempted to abduct him from his country of residence, Ghana and for that reason he has been living a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
Addressing the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council, Hundeyin said due to his journalistic work, the Nigerian government has taken extraordinary steps to silence him.
In a video of the address he reposted on his X ( formerly Twitter) handle on Wednesday, Hundeyin accused the Tinubu administration of planning to abduct him to Nigeria, where, according to him, he would face imprisonment, torture, and extrajudicial execution.
Addressing the Council in virtual session, he said, “Thank you for the opportunity to speak at the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
“As an investigative journalist from Nigeria, my work primarily focuses on advancing transparency and accountability in government.
“I have repeatedly used my journalistic platform to expose and publicize malfeasance and criminal behaviour by powerful people in Nigeria, most recently the new Nigerian president, Bola Tinubu, an individual whose FBI file of over 2,500 pages is set to be released publicly for the first time next month and who has as a matter of public record forfeited $460,000 to the United States government being proceeds of heroin trafficking.
“Due to my journalistic work, his regime has taken extraordinary steps to silence me, including a recent attempted abduction from Ghana, where I have political asylum.
“The terrible regime is currently trying to prevail on Ghana, which historically is a close ally of Nigeria, to violate the non-reforming principle and have me return to Nigeria where I would almost certainly face imprisonment, torture, and extrajudicial execution.”
Hundeyin added that the situation has made him unsettled as he is forced to always be on the lookout for his safety.
He added: “To save my life and the important work that I do. I have been forced into a semi-nomadic lifestyle where I am really sleeping in one place for a prolonged period of time. In fact, it is from one of these temporary locations that I’m filming this message.
“Under Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, and as a journalist, I must be able to do my work without living in fear or living on the run simply because I’m doing my job.”
Recall that Hundeyin had raised the alarm, saying Tinubu should be held responsible if anything happened to him or if he died.